Two World Cup winners and two Champions League winners lined up in the Arsenal XI the last time they played Bayern Munich.
Arsenal are set to play against Bayern Munich on Tuesday night, April 9th, following their pairing in the Champions League quarter-final draw announced last month.
The Gunners’ previous encounter with Bayern Munich occurred in 2017 during the Champions League Round of 16, resulting in Bayern’s comprehensive 10-2 aggregate victory across both legs.
In fact, each of the last three meetings between these side have resulted in a 5-1 victory for the Bavarians, which of course does not bode well for Arsenal.. At SportsLens, we take a look into the starting XI selected for the 5-1 defeat at the Emirates Stadium back in March 2017.
The Arsenal XI The Last Time They Played Bayern Munich
David Ospina
Following the 2014 World Cup, the Colombian goalkeeper joined Arsenal, later departing for Napoli after a loan spell in 2019.
Presently, he serves as the captain of his national team and plays for Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League.
Hector Bellerin
The Spanish right-back, a beloved figure among fans for his youth system upbringing, faced numerous injury setbacks during his tenure at the Emirates Stadium.
Following a brief loan from Arsenal in 2021, he is now a player for Real Betis. He had previous spells with Barcelona and Sporting before rejoining Betis in a transfer deal worth £6.8 million.
Shkodran Mustafi
Arriving in 2016, the German defender joined the club two years after securing the World Cup with Germany.
After spending five years at Arsenal, Mustafi departed for Schalke on a free transfer in 2021. However, the defender currently finds himself without a club after leaving Levante last summer.
Laurent Koscielny
It was a forgettable night for Koscielny when his team played against Bayern Munich, as he was sent off just after halftime, contributing to his team’s eventual collapse.
Following his departure from the Gunners in 2019, he spent nine years with the club before transferring to Bordeaux. He eventually retired after playing three seasons for the French outfit.
Nacho Monreal
After spending six years at Arsenal, the Spanish left-back secured three FA Cup trophies during his time in North London.
He later made a return to his homeland, signing with Real Sociedad, where he ultimately retired from professional football.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
After spending six years at Arsenal, where he won three FA Cups, the England international midfielder moved to Liverpool in 2017.
Despite facing humiliation in the Champions League on that particular night, he later achieved redemption by winning the competition with Liverpool in 2019.
Granit Xhaka
After joining the Gunners at the beginning of that season, the Swiss midfielder accumulated over 250 appearances for the club.
Nowadays, he is playing in Germany after his transfer to Bayer Leverkusen last summer, where he is certain to secure a Bundesliga title.
Aaron Ramsey
Ramsey endeared himself to fans with his FA Cup heroics. He spent 11 years in North London after joining as a teenager from Cardiff.
The Welsh international, now 33, departed for Juventus in 2019 and subsequently had spells with Rangers and Nice before making a return to Cardiff last summer in the Championship.
Theo Walcott
Arsenal’s teenage sensation remained with the club for 12 years following his move to Everton in 2018. Notably, he scored the first goal in this match before Arsenal surrendered the lead during a second-half schooling.
After spending two and a half years back at his boyhood club, Southampton, Walcott ultimately decided to retire from professional football last summer.
Alexis Sanchez
During his time at the Emirates, the Chilean forward played for four seasons, contributing a total of 124 goal contributions.
His career took a downturn after he was sold to Manchester United in 2018. Following a brief stint at Marseille, Sanchez departed Inter before later returning. At the age of 35, he continues to play for Inter.
Oliver Giroud
Giroud achieved the highest honour in football by winning the 2018 World Cup, featuring in seven matches during the tournament. After enjoying a successful six-year tenure at Arsenal, the French striker moved to London rival Chelsea in 2018, where he added a Champions League title to his accolades.
Currently, he plies his trade at AC Milan, where he has had a commendable season, scoring 13 goals and providing 8 assists thus far.
This was how Arsenal lined up for their 1-5 defeat to Bayern Munich in March 2017, the last time they played in the Champions League.
They return tonight. 🕺 pic.twitter.com/e8vaZ0Gh0j
— Nigeria Info FM 99.3 (@NigeriainfoFM) September 20, 2023
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